Cabinet and elevating apparatus



CABINET AND ELEVATING APPARATUS Herald L. Hubbell, Zeeland, Mich.

Application February 25, 1954, Serial No. 412,504

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-21) This invention relates to a novel supporting and elevating apparatus used in a cabinet, such apparatus being adapted to support and carry at its upper side a sewing machine, preferably, though it is useful for and may be used in conjunction with the elevating and lowering of many other articles or devices where their raising and lowering thereof is desirable.

rates Patent In the processing of various sewing operations with a be sewed in plain sewing generally is located on and moved over a table, substantially flush with the seam which .is sewed. In another position of the sewing machine, the sewing of the seam is at a higher level than that of the horizontal table mentioned in such first type of sewing. The sewing machine, by means of which these two types of sewing are accomplished, in general has required an accessory device or devices to effect one of such types of sewing, usually in an awkward manner. With my invention, the sewing machine may be bodily retracted completely into a cabinet, and through a particularly simple, effective and novel mechanism be elevated and held selectively in either of the two positions wanted; and when the sewing operation has been accomplished, may be easily lowered and housed within the cabinet. The mechanism embodying my invention is simple, sturdy and effective for the purposes for which used. An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a cabinet illustrating the sewing machine in one position of its use.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation, with parts broken away and shown in section, showing the elevating carriage within the cabinet in the second or lower position, Figs. 1 and 2 illustrating the machine in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section and elevation, the view being taken substantially on the plane of line 33 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section at right angles to that in Fig. 3, taken substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The cabinet 1 has vertical, parallel, spaced opposite sides and likewise, vertical, parallel, spaced, opposite ends. At its upper end it is covered with a top 2 which has a rectangular opening 3 therethrough, through which the sewing machine carried on the carrier support therefor within the cabinet is adapted to extend, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The carrier support for the sewing machine has a horizontal top 4 of generally rectangular form and depending Vertical ends 5, also of rectangular form, as shown in 2,790,689 Patented Apr. 30, 19 57 Figs. 3 and 4. Ends 5 are permanently secured at the end portions of the top 4 and are located within the ends of the cabinet 1 parallel thereto and spaced a short distance therefrom. When the carrier support, with the sewing machine thereon is at its uppermost position its top 4 is brought against the under side of the top 2 of the cabinet, the sewing machine (in dot and dash line in Fig. l) projecting upwardly through the opening 3. When the carrier support is at a lower position, the second of such positions in which it is adapted to be held as in Fig. 2, the top 4 is a distance below the top 2 of the cabinet and the base of the sewing machine is at alower level. A filler 6 of the form shown best in Fig. 1, of generally U-shape having spaced legs 6a, is used with such last described position of the machine, located and detachably held in the opening 3 of the cabinet top so as to provide, with the cabinet top, a support for the material which is to be sewed. v

The elevating and lowering mechanism and the mechanism associated therewith for holding the carrier support for the machine in selected positions to which elevated is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. At the upper portion of the cabinet 1 and at each end thereof, a spring balance structure 7 of well known form, used to a large extent in balancing vertically sliding sashes of windows is permanently secured. The interior structure of such balance need not be shown and described in detail as it is Well known. A cable 8 mounted on a spring actuated drum within the housing extends downwardly, as shown best in Fig. 3, and passes under a pulley mounted at the outer side of each depending end 5 of the carrier support between the upper and lower ends thereof, the cable thence extending upwardly to and being permanently secured at its free end to a block or other fixture 10 secured within the cabinet as shown. It is evident that with this construction the carrier support for the sewing machine may be moved vertically downward or upward, and that on the downward movement the springs of the balances at 7 will be wound and store energy which will help in the elevation of such carrier support and the sewing machine mounted thereon. The pulleys 9 are rotatably mounted on bearing pins or shafts which have each an extension 11 projecting beyond the outer side of its associated pulley toward the inner side of the adjacent end of the cabinet 1 (Fig. 4).

At the inner side of each of the sides of the cabinet 1, a rectangular flat plate 12 is permanently secured by screws or other connections. A fiat bar 13 is at the inner side of each of said plates 12, pivotally suspended from adjacent its upper end from the plate on a pivot pin 14. Each fiat bar 13, at the edge thereof which is presented toward pin or shaft 11 has two spaced notches or recesses therein at 15, which are of a form to receive the pin 11, each of said notches at its upper edge portions inclining upwardly at an angle shown at 16. Below the lowermost recess or notch 15 there is also a downwardly and inwardly inclined edge'17 similar to the edges at 16. The bars 13 are located so that on an upward movement of the sewing machine carrier the pins 11 will ride against the edges 17 or 16 and will be received in the recesses at 15 so' as to support the sewing machine and its carrier selectively in either of the two positions shown, one controlled by each of the recesses at 15.

A latch bar 18 is located at the lower end of each of the carriage supporting bars 13. It is in a generally horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3, and at its upper edge has two spaced teeth or dogs 19. Such bar is pivotally mounted at 21 at its end farthest away from its associated bar 13. The teeth or dogs 19 have abrupt inner sides and downwardly and outwardly inclined cam sides against which the lower end of a bar 13 may ride over 3 until it passes beyond a tooth and will be held by the tooth against return movement.

The bars 13 and latches 18 are actuated by springs 21 and 21a mountedon the pivot pins 14 and 20 respectively, which act to yieldingly swing the bars 13 toward the pins 11 and the latches 18 upwardly toward the lower ends of the bars 13 with which associated.

The bars .13 under the influence of springs 21 when free to do so, will each be brought at their notched or recessed edges against a stop 22 which is an angle of metal, one leg lying against its associated plate 12 and spot welded thereto and the other extending into the path of movement of the adjacent bar 13. Each of the sides of the machine carrier support, near its upper end, has a block 23 permanently secured thereto which moves up and down with the like movement of such carrier and which blocks when moved to lowermost position, strike against pins 24 extending, one from each of the latches 18, and located in the path of movement of an associated upper block 23. When the carrier is moved to its lowermost position and the blocks connected with the end members 5 strike their associated pins 24 on the latches 13, said latches 18 are swung a distance sufficient to move and hold them away from the lower ends of the bars 13.

Operation in Figs. 3 and 4, the carrier support for the sewing machine i shown elevated to its lowermost operative position, that indicated in Fig. 2. Such carrier support is at a lower position in the cabinet initially, and such that the blocks 23 engage the pins 24 holding latches 18 at their free end portions below and separated from the bars 13. On the upward movement of such carrier support, with the machine at its upper side, the first effect is that coming from moving the blocks 23 upwardly away from pins 24. Latches 18 are freed to swing upwardly at their free ends, actuated by the springs 210, until such latches come against the lower ends of bars 13, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. On further upward movement, the pins 11 ride against the inclined edges 17 swinging said bars 13 to the left about their pivots 14 or until such bars, at their lower ends, pass beyond the first latch tooth 19, whereupon the first teeth 19 of the latches are in a position such that when the pins 11 reach the lowermost recesses at 15 and the bars swing back in a counterclockwise direction under the action of springs 21, such first teeth 19 interpose a stop against bars 13 returning to their initial positions. Such are the positions of the parts with the sewing machine carrier in its first operative position, that shown in Fig. 2 and also in Figs. 3 and 4.

On further upward movement so as to lift the machine carrier to the second and uppermost position, shown in Fig. 1, the pins 11 riding first against the lowermost inclined edge 16 and against the edges between them and the uppermost recesses 15 of bars 13 move such bars clockwise, the lower ends thereof moving away from the stops interposed by the first of the shoulders on the teeth at 1? until the uppermost recesses 15 are reached by the pins 11.. The sewing machine carrier is then held against downward movement by such pins 11 seating in the uppermost recess 15. The weight of the machine and the carrier therefor ovcrbalances the balancing spring mechanisms housed within the housings at 7.

When the machine and its carrier are to be lowered into the cabinet, the first step is to manually lift such machine and carrier upward, the pins 11 riding against the uppermost of the inclined edges 16 on the bars 13 until the lower ends of said bars are swung to the left (in Fi 3) past the second of said step teeth 19 which serve to hold the bars out of the path of downward movement of the pins 11. The machine and its carrier may be freely moved downwardly to lowermost position which is reached very shortly after the blocks 23 have engaged the pin 24 and swung the latches 18 about the pivots at 21) (Fig. 3) thus releasing the bars 13 which will return to their initial positions, shown in full lines in Fig. 3, and stopped at such positions by the stops at 22.

It is evident that the novel mechanism described for controlling the raising and lowering of the sewing machine support and for maintaining the machine support in either of the two positions which may be selected is of simple, economical structure involving few parts, all easily fabricated and assembled. it is further evident that such structure is sturdy and durable, is not subject to getting out of order and is certain in its operation.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A cabinet having a top with an opening therethrough, and spaced opposed vertical sides and ends, a carrier support within said cabinet having a top and a vertical, downwardly extending side at each end thereof, said sides of the carrier support being parallel to and adjacent opposed vertical ends or the cabinet, means for movably suspending and substantially balancing said carrier support from the top of said cabinet for vertical up and down movements thereof, a generally vertical bar pivotally connected at its upper end to the inner side of each of said opposed vertical ends of the cabinet, :1 pin on the carrier support at an edge of each adjacent bar, each bar having a plurality of spaced recesses therein in said edge adapted to receive the adjacent pin, and yielding means on each bar normally moving it into engagement with its associated pin at said recessed edge.

2. Structure having the elements in combination defined in claim 1, said recessed edge of each bar, above each recess and below the lowermost recess having said edge inclined at an angle to the length of the bar, whereby upon the pins bearing thereagainst on upward movement of said carrier support, said bars are swung about their pivots against the springs acting thereon.

3. Structure having the elements in combination defined in claim 2, and a spring actuated latch bar pivotally mounted at the lower end of each bar normally bearing thereagainst with spring pressure, each of said latch bars at its upper side having spaced upwardly extending bar engaging and holding members, in 'number equal to the number of recesses at the recessed edge of a bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 298,277 Bolton May 6, 1884 444,280 Pepin Ian. 6, l891 1,713,863 Bertani May 21, 1929 1,853,507 Chandler Apr. 12, I932 2,575,045 Chason Nov. 13, 1951 2,738,248 Berker Mar. 13, 1956 

